‘Alien’ methods of investigation applied in police

According to L. Avetisyan, the Judge of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun Administrative District, a criminal case has been instituted based on the materials prepared in the Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Armenia under Part 1 of Article 309 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, the SIS press service reports.

A preliminary investigation is under way. According to Judge L. Avetisyan’s report, in the course of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case pending in the court with regard to Hayk G. accused of kidnapping and blackmailing an individual under aggravating circumstances and Ani N. accused of assisting in the given kidnapping, Defendant Ani N., Witnesses Lusine S. and Stepan T. declared that in the course of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case they were illegally detained in the police department, interrogated at nighttime, threatened and the methods inconsistent with the investigation were applied. It should be pointed out that during the preliminary investigation Ani N., Lusine S. and Stepan T. gave testimonies against Hayk G., whereas during the trial they renounced such testimonies.

The suspect or the accused of the alleged offence is deemed innocent since his or her innocence is not proved by virtue of the effective court verdict in the manner prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia.